A beautifully golden loaf cake, moist from the brown sugar and ginger syrup that is infused while the cake is hot. Sweet and spicy, it's simply delectable! It lasts for several days and can be frozen.
Double dose of ginger
This is a simple loaf, similar to a pound cake, very different from dark Christmas cakes like this glazed gingerbread loaf.
If you leave the ginger syrup out, this is a simple vanilla cake with a caramel undertone from the brown sugar.
But really, why on earth would you? The ginger syrup is just perfect.
It's poured on the cake while still hot and seeps into it, leaving a super moist crumb and trickles of sweet and spicy goodness.
Ingredient list
For the brown sugar cake:
- Brown sugar: use light or dark brown sugar. The difference is the depth of flavor and color.
- Unsalted butter.
- All-purpose flour.
- Salt.
- Baking powder: make sure it isn't expired.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- Milk: Whole, low-fat, and almond milk; they all work.
- Vanilla extract.
For the ginger syrup:
- Fresh ginger.
- Honey: any flavor works. I use traditional clover honey.
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
How to make this ginger cake
- It's a simple butter cake where the eggs are added one at a time after creaming butter and sugar.
- Then the dry ingredients are added, alternating with the milk. This means you start and end with the flour mixture.
After it is mixed well and no lumps remain, the batter is poured into the prepared loaf pan.
Poking: I use a brochette stick (regular bamboo sticks) or my cake thermometer (image above). It is thick enough to make a good hole without tearing the cake surface. Poke the whole surface for better results.
Pouring the ginger syrup
This part is easy, giving this loaf cake a lot of extra moisture and a sharp but sweet ginger flavor.
I do it while the cake is still hot and in the pan.
Add syrup: you can use a jar and pour it. It will flow to the sides. You can bring it back to the top with a spoon and redistribute it again, or aid yourself with a spoon/spatula while slowly pouring the syrup so that most of it remains in the center of the cake.
Use a brush and patiently apply the syrup to the whole surface. This method distributes it better.
You can also do it both ways. First, pour half the syrup and let it flow to the sides, then brush the rest to ensure the whole surface is covered in this sticky and fantastic ginger honey syrup.
Variations
Add-ins: this recipe is old-fashioned with a slight caramel tone, allowing add-ins like nuts, dried fruits, or chopped chocolate to be added.
Glaze it: after adding the syrup, let it cool, and remove it from the pan. Use a simple powdered sugar glaze with ginger syrup as the liquid.
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Brown Sugar Ginger Cake
Ingredients
For the brown sugar loaf cake:
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup milk, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Ginger Honey syrup:
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup water
- ½ oz fresh, peeled ginger, chopped or sliced
Instructions
For the brown sugar loaf cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Butter or spray an 8x4-inch loaf pan.
- Line with a strip of parchment paper, covering the pan's bottom and two short sides. The two long sides will remain unlined but greased. This will help remove the cake from the pan after it’s baked.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add to the egg mixture in three additions, alternating with milk and vanilla in two additions.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. It will become shiny on top.
- Transfer to a cooling rack, poke the surface of the loaf with a wooden brochette skewer, cake thermometer, or something similar, and pour ½ of the honey syrup on top of the hot cake.
- Brush the remaining half so that the top surface is well covered.
- Let cool before removing from the pan. If the sides are stuck from the syrup, run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges so that it unmolds without breaking.
For the ginger honey syrup:
- Put three ingredients in a small saucepan, cover, and boil for about 5 minutes. It depends a lot on how thick you want the syrup.
- Turn off the heat and let the ginger cool in the syrup.
- Refrigerate until ready to use. Bring it to room temperature when you want to use it, or microwave it for 20 seconds or so before pouring it onto the cake.
Notes
Adapted from The Pocket Cookbook, by Elizabeth Woody from Mc Call's magazine staff
Paula Montenegro says
A note about this recipe: the recipe doesn't contain minced beef and never did. However, after an update, there was a typo from a template we used and it was mentioned in the body of the post. It was corrected a few years ago.
Rebecca says
I was looking for a way to use up some extra Ginger Simple Syrup that I had on hand for cocktails and if this cake tastes even half as good as the batter (I added a tiny bit of the syrup to the batter before baking too), this is gonna be a major hit in my family!!!
Paula Montenegro says
Oh, I love that idea! Hope it turned out well!
Kelly S. says
I WILL be making this cake, sans beef, very soon. Thanks to Culinary Crimes on Smosh, I HAD to find this recipe. Angela called it "darling" and I'm dying to know what that means in cake form.
Natalie says
This cake looks delicious. Moist and flavorful. I bet it will go perfectly with cup of coffee. I must give it a try. Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe.
GUNJAN C Dudani says
Love the combination of brown sugar and ginger. Absolutely perfect for this holiday season.
Jo says
That's one incredible looking loaf! It looks so tempting and the spices used are perfect! A slice of this cake with coffee in the morning would be heavenly!
Amy says
I love how this bread is similar to a poke cake. The honey ginger glaze brings so much flavor to the table—I love it! I also appreciate how simple this is to put together, great recipe!
Denise says
Oh this ginger cake... it looks scrumptious!! It is a must try for sure, I think it will become a regular treat to make for my family, without a doubt!
Marisa F. Stewart says
The cake looks super dense and moist. The addition of the ginger syrup not only gives the cake flavor, but also ensures that it stays moist. What a great treat in the afternoon with a cup of coffee or tea.
Tara says
This is a seriously beautiful cake! The honey ginger syrup just takes it right over the top and it sounds like such a delicious addition to what already sounds like a great cake (I'm a sucker for anything with brown sugar in the name). Thank you for sharing!!
Shulie Foodwanderings says
This brown sugar with ginger syrup sounds heavenly. I would love a slice with my tea. Ginger syrup, I think it's brilliant!
Lyn @LovelyPantry says
Absolutely gorgeous. I'm so taken by the simplicity of the recipe. You can never have enough of recipes like this! Paula this is just too lovely.
Cakelaw says
I like a bit if everything myself, and this ginger loaf sounds fantastic.
Laura Dembowski says
That looks wonderful. I love when cakes are drizzled with syrup right out of the oven. I so wish all the spring produce was still around here, along with the weather.